Mica-splitting machine.



E. COOPER.

MICA SPLITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 3. 1913.

rINrTnn STATES VPATENT onrmn.

'EDWARD COOPER, 0F NEWTUN, MASSACHUSETTS.

mica-SPLITTING mennen.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept.. 2S, 1915..

Application lcd September 8, 1913. Serial No. 788,031.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD CooPER, re-vv siding in Newton, county of Middlesex, and State of Massachusetts, (whose post-oiiice 5 address is care of American Mica Company,

Newton, Massachusetts,) have invented an Improvement in Mica-Splitting Machines, of which the following description, mconnection with the accompanying drawmgs,

A is a specificationflike letters` 'on the drawings representing like parts.

The present invention relates-to an apparatus for splitting mica, and 1sv embodied 1n a machine having bending devices adapted. to act simultaneously on the material at opposite sides thereof, the machine having 'a lflexible holder l.composed `of` tw o adjacent parts or layers to hold the materral m place during the operation. The bendlng devices also have a rubbing action so that in the operation the material is rubbed as Well as bent. To bring about the bending and rub-V bing action, the machine is provided with means whereby the flexible holder, for the material, and the bending means, respectively, are arranged to be moved 'one with relation to the other in the direction of the plane of the holder. In the construction l shown, the bending devices are provided with means whereby they are reciprocated. withTelation to the holder so thatl theyv move back and forth along the opposite vsurfaces of the Aholder' throughout theA operation.-

The flexible holder may also be utilized as a Vconveyer for the materialv by providing the apparatus with means whereby saidholder is caused to travel continuouslyin one direction while the splitting process 1s being canried on. It is obvious that such an arrange- 40 ment of the holder will in itself produce the necessary relative movement of the Ina-4 terial and the bending devices; but it adds to the eiiciency of the machine if the reciprocating movement of the bending devices is employed in addition to theV movement of' the holder.

The bending vdevices are shown as consisting of rubbers or rolls yieldingly pressed toward each other so' as to engage simultaneously the opposite 'sides of the holder between them; and to insure theJ positive bending of the material one of the'rolls at one side extends into the space between/the two rolls at the opposite 51de, ,so that-the material is bent by the action of the rolls in plssmg through the sinuous space between The invention is further embodied in cer- I tain novel details of construction and arrangement, which will-be hereinafter more fully described.

Figure 1 is a top plan view partly in section, o f a machine embodying the invention; and Ffg. 2 1s a longitudinal vertical section 4of the machine, the section being taken about on the line X2 of Fig. 1.

In the construction shown, the iiexible holder consists of two adjacent layers of material, 1 and 2, the material used prefere ably being a fabric, such as canvas; and the layers lie practically in contact with each other or with the mica which is to be'operated upon when it is interposed between thern. '1"he bending devices act upon the opposite sides or faces of the iexible holder andv areherein shown as consisting of rolls 3, 4, 5, 6, and the rolls 3, and 5, being shown as yleldingly pressed by means of tained in the holder is fiexed and at `the same time rubbed at opposite sides. y

It is practicable in order to bring about a continuousl operation, to utilize the liexible holder as avconveyer; and for this purpose the parts l and, 2 of the holder are made in the form of endless belts which travel #over rollers 10, 12, 13, and 14, which are adapted to be rotated by means of sprocket wheels and a sprocket chain 15. This travel of the holder constitutes a relative movement of the holder 4and bending devices which is suiicient to split the mica; but in order to make the operation more thorough, the bending devices themselves are adapted to have a yreciprocating movement which takes place during the travel of the holder.

vplane of the holder, the mica which isrcon- In the constructionflshown, the frame 9 whichwsupports the bending devices is movber of the holder, is shown as having a drivablymounted on rods 1,6, at opposite sides of the machine, said frame being connected to rods 17 which are capable of sliding end- .Wise in bearin s 18, and connected throu h 4 connecting ro s, 1 9, with wheels or cran s the said crank wheels V20, are herein shown as mounted at opposite ends of a shaft 21, provided with a pulley 22, capable of being driven by a belt 23. The shaft 24, which carries the roll 14 `for the lower meming pulley 25, and also as being .provided with a sprocket wheel 26, which engages the sprocket chain 15. For convenience in supplying the machine with the mica which indicated by the arrows, while the bending Y devices move back and forth, thus acting repeatedly oneach betweenY them.

In practice it is found that the size ofthe rolls and the. equivalent parts of the bendpiece of mica that comes Aing devices may be varied to advantage in accordance with the quality of the mica which is acted upon and the extent to which the splitting is to be carried. As herein shown the oset of the roll 4, is somewhat exaggerated as well as the size of the rolls;

it being understood that the proportions used depends upon the extent towhich the mica isto be split. When the mica is to be split to the thinnest practicable extent, much smaller-rolls or/rubbers are used', and the amount of offset is diminished.

In practice several machines may be used, or the dimensionsof the lexingfdevices may be varied throughout a single machine where a number of such devices are used; a

sharper bendand a larger roll or rubber' being used to split the thicker pieces. [As herein shown the rolls 3, 4, and 5, are mounted on a sliding frame 27, which is capable of vertical movement against the stress of the.

springs 8,v on guide rods 28, which extend upward from the frame 9.- The roll 4, lis

'adjustable with relation to the olls 3 and 5,

is to be split, the roller 14, is so situated' be provided for by -regulating the relative.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the opposite surfaces of the mica sheet are positively acted on at the same place in the bending as well as the rubbing operation, the iexible holderlying between and in contact with the opposed bending devices throughout the entire operation.

vMoreover, while fthe holder may convenbeing shown as supported on rods 29, containedin sockets in the frame piece 27, which supports the rolls 3 and 5, in which Sockets they are adapted to beheld in their adjusted position b y means of sety screws 30. :While 1t is not essential to the operation of the machine, it is desirable that theparts v 1 and 2 ofthe exibleholder should be held under some tension both laterally nand longitudinally The longitudinal tension can iently be used as a conveyer, it is not essential to the operation that it be so used, since the bending is accomplished by independent devices.

What I claim is: j

1. An apparatus for splitting mica which consists of a holder composed of layers of flexible material adapted to receive the mica to be acted upon between them, combined with bending devices having coperating members which engage said holder at the opposite faces thereof, and means for producing a relative movement of the bending devices and the holder in the direction of the plane oit' the holder: whereby the mica plates are iiexed by the bending devices while confined between the layers of the holder. l

2. In a machine for splittin mica, the combination with a fiexible ho der having two adjacent layers adaptedk to receive the i unsplit mica between them; of bending devices at opposite sides of said holder," embracing said holder between theme; and means for producing a relative movement of said bending devices and holder. l

' 3. An apparatusfor splitting mica which consists of a holder comprismg adjacent layers of flexible material, combined with reciprocating bending devices acting on opposite sides of said holder; and means for actuating said bending devices in the reciprocating movement thereof.v

4. An apparatus for splitting mica whichconsists of a' holder comprislng adjacent layers of iiexible material, combined with bending devices actin on opposite sides of said holder; means or reciprocatingsaid bendingdevices and means for causing said holder to travel with relation to said reciprocating devices.

5. An apparatus for splittingmica comprising a holder of flexible material having adjacent layers, means for holding the lopposite edges of said holder parallel to each other and equidistant from each. other7 name to this specification in the presence of bending devices operating simultaneously two subscribing witnesses. on opposite surfaces of said holder where it lies between them; and rmeans for proy' EDWARD COOPER' ducing a relative movement of said exing Witnesses: v v

devices and holder. JAS. J. BhmNEY,

VIn testimony whereof, have signed'my M. MALONEY. 

